Flushing cistern



- March 1934- H. COLTMAN 1,952,583

FLUSHING CISTERN Filed July 8, 1952 1Q TTOR/VEY Patented Mar. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES FLUSHING CISTERN Harry Coltman, Nelson, New Zealand, assignor of one-half to Walter Black, Nelson, New Zealand Application July 8, 1932, Serial No. 621,342

4 Claims.

This invention relates to cisterns used for flushing the pans of water closets and the like, and has particular reference to that type of flushing cistern having a bell operable over a vertical discharge pipe connected to a down pipe leading to the vessel, pan or part to be flushed, said bell dipping into a seal of mercury held in a gutter surrounding the vertical pipe.

It is the object of the invention to improve the efliciency and reliability of cisterns of the above mentioned type, and to this end the invention consists in incorporating in such cisterns certain novel features of construction hereinafter particularly specified and claimed.

A cistern of the type above referred to is in accordance with this invention, provided with a gutter containing mercury surrounding the discharge pipe, a bell containing an annular space operable over the latter so that said space passes upon the outer wall of the gutter, and the inner wall of the bell dips into the mercury seal therein, a stem attached to the bell operating in a guide in the discharge pipe, and a float actuated catch adapted to engage the bell to retain same in a raised position while the cistern is discharg- The above and other features comprised in the invention will be more particularly described with the aid of the accompanying drawing wherein Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a cistern fitted with the improvements and showing the bell closing the cistern outlet, while Fig. 2 is a part sectional elevation showing the bell raised to open the cistern outlet and permit a flush to take place, and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the cistern outlet,

Fig. 4 being an inverted plan view of the bell.

In the drawing, 1 is the cistern which is provided with the usual water inlet valve 2, controlled by the arm 3 with the float or ball 4 thereon, while 5 is the vertical water discharge pipe extending through the cistern bottom and adapted to be connected by means of a down pipe (not shown) with the vessel, pan, or the like intended to be flushed from the cistern.

Surrounding the vertical discharge pipe 5, is a gutter 6 containing a seal of mercury '7, and operable over said pipe is a bell 8 containing an annular space 9 open at the bottom, so that said space is enabled to pass upon the outer wall of the gutter 6, and the inner wall of the bell 8 to dip into the mercury seal '7 when the bell is lowered over and on to the pipe 5.

The bell 8 also contains a washer 10 of leather or the like, which when the inner wall of the bell dips into the mercury seal 7, seats on the upper end of the pipe 5.

In order to operate the bell 8 the latter is mounted on a stem 11 which is slidable in a guide 12 in the discharge pipe 5, and is pivotally connected at its upper end to one end of a lever 13 centrally mounted on a shaft 14 extending across the cistern 1 and fitted outside. the latter with an operating handle 15, the other end of the lever 13 having a counterweight 16 adjustably secured thereon. I

The bell 8 contains one or more small holes 8 in its top, said holes opening into the annular space 9, while a standard 17 rising from afitting 18 surrounding the pipe 5, has thereon a stop 19 capable of being set to limit upward movement of the bell 8.

Pivoted to the fitting 18 opposite the standard 17 is a catch 24 provided with an arm 20 carrying a float 21, said catch 24 being formed with an inclined surface 22 leading to a point 24 at the side adjacent the bell 8.

With the cistern containing the desired amount of water, a flush is caused to take place as followst-The handle 15 is operated to raise the bell 8 out of the gutter 6 and from around the pipe 5, upward movement of the bell being limited by the stop 19.

The tendency of the float 21 on the arm 20 to rise in the water in the cistern causes the catch 24 to bear against the projecting rim 23 of the bell 8 so that as the latter ascends it contacts with the inclined surface 22 of the catch and pushes the latter outwards until the rim 23 clears the point 24 of the catch whereupon the latter moves inwards below said rim and holds the bell 8 raised against the stop 19, and clear of the pipe 5 leaving the latter open for the discharge of water from the cistern.

The hole or holes 8 in the top of the bell 8, permit a downward passage of water through the annular space 9 as the bell is raised, thereby preventing the creation of a vacuum in said space and displacement and loss of mercury 7 from the gutter 6.

The catch 24 retains the bell 8 in its raised position until such time as the float 21, owing to the water level receding in the cistern, fails to receive the necessary support to keep the catch engaged below the projecting rim 23 of the bell, and when this point is reached the float 21 and arm 20 descend by gravity and bring about the withdrawal of the point 24 of the catch 24 from below the rim 23 of the bell, which immediately descends over the pipe 5 so that the washer 1O re-seats on the upper end of the latter, and the inner wall of the bell re-enters the mercury seal 7, thereby closing the cistern outlet and permitting the cistern to refill from the ball valve 2, in the usual way.

What I do claim and desire to obtain by Letters Patent of the United States of America is:

1. In combination with a cistern, a water discharge pipe extending through the bottom of said cistern, a gutter having an outer wall surrounding said pipe within said cistern, a mercury seal in said gutter, a guide in said discharge pipe, a stem slidable in said guide, a bell mounted on said stem and containing an annular space operable over said discharge pipe so that said space passes upon the outer wall of the gutter and so that a wall of said bell dips into said mercury seal to close said discharge pipe, means connected with said stem and adapted to be actuated externally of said cistern for operating said stem, a projecting rim forming a part of said bell, and a float-actuated catch adapted to engage said projecting rim.

2. In combination with a cistern, a water 'discharge pipe extending through the bottom of said cistern, a gutter having an outer wall surrounding said pipe within said cistern, a mercury seal in said gutter, a bell containing an annular space operable over said discharge pipe so that said space passes upon the outer wall of the gutter and so that a wall of said bell dips into said mercury seal to close said discharge pipe, said bell having holes which open into said annular space; a washer carried by said bell and adapted to seat on said discharge pipe when said bell is lowered,

means raising said bell to open said discharge pipe, and a float-actuated catch adapted to engage said bell to maintain it in a raised position.

3. In combination with a cistern, a water dis charge pipe extending through the bottom of said cistern, a fitting secured around said discharge pipe, a standard rising from said fitting, a gutter having an outer wall surrounding said pipe within said cistern, a mercury seal in said gutter, a bell containing an annular space operable over said discharge pipe so that said space passes upon the outer wall of the gutter and so that a wall of said bell dips into said mercury seal to close said discharge pipe, means raising said bell to open said discharge pipe, a stop carried by said standard and adapted to come in contact with said bell, and a float-actuated catch pivoted to said fitting opposite said standard and adapted to engage said bell to maintain it in a raised position.

4. In combination with a cistern, a water discharge pipe extending through the bottom of said cistern, a gutter having an outer wall surrounding said pipe within said cistern, a mercury seal in said gutter, a bell having an inner wall and an 1 outer wall, an annular space being formed between the inner and the outer walls of said bell, the inner wall of said bell being adapted to pass between the outer wall of said gutter and said pipe and to dip into said mercury seal, a washer carried by said bell and adapted to seat on said discharge pipe when said bell is lowered, means raising said bell to open said discharge pipe, and a float-actuated catch adapted to engage said v bell to maintain it in a raised position. 1

HARRY COLTMAN. 

